YouTube has a new tool that allows creators to quickly remove any content that's subject to a copyright claim without having to take their whole video down.
Creators can run into all sorts of problems regarding copyright issues on YouTube if they don't fully understand the licensing rules behind using audio, images, or other video content created by others.
There a million reasons why YouTubers shouldn't use ANY content that wasn't created by themselves or their teams or wasn't properly licensed through the official channels. And no, 'Fair Use' isn't always a viable defense, and neither is pasting a 'this content doesn't belong to me' disclaimer into your YouTube description. If you're using content for your own videos and haven't obtained permission from the rightful owner you are in for a world of pain.
Repeat offenders (those with three copyright strikes) face the termination of their channel, a catastrophic blow for any creator who has put the time and effort into building YouTube views, engagement, and subscriber growth.
For every creator who deliberately uploads content that either doesn’t belong to them or isn’t properly licensed, there are, of course, other creators who believe they are acting in good faith. The good news is that YouTube recognizes that and alongside the ton of advice they provide on the topic, the platform is introducing an awesome new tool to the new Studio dashboard.
New YouTube Copyright Tool: Assisted Trim
In an update to the new YouTube Studio, the platform has rolled out a tool called Assisted Trim, which aims at providing creators with a quick and easy solution to a copyright claim. In a recent blog post, YouTube confirmed the tool will allow creators to remove a copyrighted section of a video without having to take the whole video down. That's awesome news for anyone who has received a claim because of music or a TV show playing in the background, or because they used a small clip of media that wasn't actually theirs to use.
This new feature will highlight the segment of the video directly relating to the claim, offering the creator the opportunity to remove it and release the claim against that segment.
YouTube also provided a handy visual clue as to the three ways creators can remove any copyright-claimed segments. You'll have the choice of trimming the offending clip, muting any audio that is in dispute, or replacing the audio portion entirely with a new (licensed or license-free) song or backing track:
Of course, trimming a segment out of a video can lead to nasty-looking edit, but YouTube confirmed it's working on "adjustable endpoints" for claimed content within the Assisted Trim tool. This feature should give the creator the means to provide a much more polished final product once the claimed content has been removed.
New Copyright Strike Information
Alongside this nifty new tool, YouTube also confirmed other changes to how creators can manage copyright claims in the New Studio. Channel owners will be able to access more information about any copyright strikes straight from the YouTube Studio dashboard, including:
Which videos were removed
Which party submitted the copyright takedown notice
The actions you need to take to resolve the strike
YouTube will also provide the creator with the specific description of the copyrighted work as provided by the claimant of that work. The platform also promises many more updates to come in 2020 regarding copyright claims and how to resolve (and avoid) them.
Want to know more? Take a look at the video below:
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Carla Marshall is the Head of Content Marketing at vidIQ. She has 10+ years of experience in video marketing, social media management, content marketing, DRM, and SEO. She was previously Editor in Chief at ReelSEO.com, and as a journalist and video marketer, she's covered news stories, creator journeys, and digital-first publishing initiatives across all the major online video platforms. She is YouTube Certified and a judge for the Shorty Awards, as well as the UK, US, Canadian, Global, and EU Search Awards.
